Throwing and catching devices, such as lacrosse sticks, generally require the presence of at least two people to use them. The people can play or practice by throwing a ball back and forth between them. Such throwing and catching devices are not very useful when a person is alone or has only one of them.
A number of devices have been developed to provide a means for returning a ball to the thrower without another person. The ball can be thrown against a wall, either especially designed for this or part of a building. Other devices provide elastic netting which rebounds a ball when thrown against it. However, these devices are not easily portable, cannot be used in small areas, such as indoors, and cause the ball to rebound in awkward directions, which then requires retrieval.